Dl. Walner et al., Potential role of growth factors and extracellular matrix in wound healingafter laryngotracheal reconstruction, OTO H N SUR, 122(3), 2000, pp. 363-366
Laryngotracheal reconstruction (LTR) has been used for more than 20 years t
o treat infants and children with subglottic stenosis. Results after pediat
ric LTR have been satisfactory; however, approximately 10% of children have
recurrent airway narrowing after LTR. The purpose of our study was to dete
rmine whether a correlation existed between specific growth factors and ext
racellular matrix in patients with adequate wound healing capability as com
pared with patients with poor wound healing capability. Histologic sections
from 27 patients who underwent LTR were cut, and immunohistochemical stain
ing was performed for transforming growth factor-beta, platelet-derived gro
wth factor, fibronectin, tenascin, transforming growth factor-alpha, and va
scular endothelial growth factor. Results showed that patients with adequat
e wound healing capability had a positive correlation with vasculature fibr
onectin, vasculature tenascin, and stromal fibronectin. Patients with poor
wound healing capability had a positive correlation with stromal vascular e
ndothelial growth factor.